Rabbit and Carrot: Trust
by absoluteotaku
Summary: AU Our quiet university life was rudely shattered by a series of kidnappings. Even though we were in a new environment, surrounded by new faces, the fact that I, the future leader of a yakuza organisation, will have enemies coming after me will never change. IchiRuki
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello everyone ^^

To all my new readers... Hello and thank you for choosing to read this story XD This is a sequel to my other fanfiction 'Rabbit and Carrot' but hopefully even if you don't read that one, you will still understand everything that happens in this story =D

To all the people who have read my stories before... Thank you so much for your patience! I can't thank you enough~ I'm so sorry I took so long to get this sequel written Q.Q Thank you all so much for coming back to read this. Fingers crossed I won't disappoint you all too much...

I don't know how I got that many views and reviews for R&C and I doubt it will happen again but I still had so much fun planning and writing this story. Despite my efforts, I'm sorry to say the characters are out-of-character like always... Q.Q Please forgive me... And if you find any mistakes please tell me so I can fix it~

To avoid any confusion, this prologue is a continuation of the prologue that I wrote in R&C =D

Ah... by the way, I don't own Bleach and any of the characters =P I only own the plot~ Oh, and I found the picture that I'm using for this story on the internet and I kind of edited it to show the name of my story...

Anyways, enjoy~

* * *

"Hey," Ichigo greeted as he got into his seat.

I looked at my husband from across the table with a fake frown, "You're late, Carrot."

"Sorry, Usagi-Kaichou," he smiled apologetically. "I was checking up on my patients."

"I know. You always do before you leave the hospital," I smiled before looking back at the menu. I waited until the waitress took our orders and walked away before I talked again. "How are my bodyguards doing?"

A week ago, on the way to Kuchiki Enterprise, the car I was travelling in was attacked. The attackers continuously showered us with bullets for a solid ten minutes. Two of my bodyguards and Renji protected me but two bullets managed to hit me. I was allowed to leave the hospital yesterday but the three of them were still recuperating.

"Aoi-san and Youichi-san should be able to leave the hospital in another two days, but Renji might have to stay another week."

"Is his condition really that bad?" I bit my lip.

Ichigo nodded, "He was shot by the most bullets. But he'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."

I released the breath I had been unconsciously holding and contemplated whether I should ask my next question. Noticing my unease, Ichigo reached over, took my hands in his and rubbed my hands softly with his thumbs, but that didn't make his next words any less grim.

"He's still… sleeping."

"Right," I gave him a small nod. "Of course."

Distress flashed across Ichigo's face when he saw my pained expression so I quickly replaced it with a tight smile as a weak attempt to reassure him that I was alright. It's been almost half a year but it seems my brother-in-law still refuses to wake up.

"Members from my family sure love to go into comas," I joked without humour.

"Rukia…"

The waitress arrived with our orders, cutting Ichigo off and also putting an end to that morbid topic. I caught the waitress winking at Ichigo and leaning lower than was necessary when she placed the plate of food in front of Ichigo and I sighed while rolling my eyes. Ichigo played with his wedding ring pointedly and I felt the waitress's gaze sweep over me before she quickly shuffled away.

"Why does this have to happen every time?" I sighed after giving the waitress a long glare.

Ichigo shrugged proudly, "They can't help it. I'm just too good-looking."

"Keep dreaming, Carrot," I scoffed.

"You know it's true," he grinned and I fought the urge to slap that smile off his face. "Oh, before I forget," he said suddenly. "I'm invited to give a few speeches at our old university in Bunkyou. I'll be there for about a week. Want to come with me?"

"That place, huh?" I was suddenly overcome with nostalgia. "I should probably go have a look, too. When are you leaving?"

"In two weeks, probably on the 15th."

"Hmm… I think I have a meeting that day," I frowned. "Should I reschedule it?"

"It's ok," he shook his head. "Just come over when you can."

"Fine but remember to keep your ring on while you're there," I reminded him. "Don't forget what happened last time."

"Yes, your highness," he replied with a slight bow.

"So, what were you thinking about?"

"What?"

"You seemed to be deep in thought when I arrived…."

"Oh that… I passed our old high school today, and it brought back some memories…"

"Of when we first met...?" he finished the sentence for me. "I do, too. Every time I drive pass it."

"Kind of fits the occasion though, doesn't it?" I ask while reaching for my wine glass with a smile.

"Indeed it does," Ichigo did the same. "Kanpai, Usagi-Kaichou."

"Happy wedding anniversary, Carrot," I toasted.

I felt the red wine burn its way down my throat and I let out a content sigh.

Our university, huh? I thought while I ate my meal. Old memories couldn't help but resurface. Now that I thought about it, our days studying at university were laced with hardships - especially that first year.

It was a miracle we stayed together… or even stayed _alive_ for that matter.

* * *

Thoughts, anyone?

By the way, Bunkyou is a name of a city/area in Japan where a lot of universities are located. You can search about it on the internet if you want more information =D

Thank you again for coming back and reading this. I would love to hear your feedback - whether it is a good one or a bad one - as it tells me how I'm doing and what I need to improve on.

I'll be back tomorrow (Saturday for me) with chapter one and I will try my best to update this story every Saturday =D

IchiRuki forever~ \(OwO)/

Until next time~

-AO-


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello everyone~ Thank you all for welcoming me back and the amount of attention this story is already getting is like... wow =O Thank you all so much! I'm so happy I could cry... OK, maybe not cry but you get the idea XD

Please enjoy~

* * *

_Nee-sama, are you there? _

_I've come to visit you again. Can you believe it? It's already been around a year since you've left us._

_I'm halfway into my first year at T University now. Ichigo and I were both accepted into that one but we're studying different courses. Nii-sama arranged for us to live together in one of his apartments there. The workers at the Bunkyou branch and some Kings members live there as well but I still miss everyone here at Karakura. Renji stayed in Karakura with Nii-sama to become a professional bodyguard. Life is pleasantly quiet without his constant chatting but I'd be lying if I didn't miss him. He's always been with me since I can remember, after all. _

_I think you'll be happy to know that I've stopped pushing people away and made some friends at the university. Ichigo talked me into doing that. There was a big fuss at the entrance ceremony when everyone found out I was attending that university but everything has calmed down now and I'm being treated like any other student - most of the time. I still can't help but leave a distance between myself and my new friends, though, in case something happens. _

_I've gotten used to university life quicker than I thought, probably because Ichigo is also going through this whole ordeal with me. According to him, I smile more now and there is a gentler atmosphere surrounding me. I'm still deciding whether that is a good thing or not. No one at the university knows that we're dating, though, and I hope it stays that way. It's safer for him. Kings doesn't have as much influence in Bunkyou as they do in Karakura so we try not to attract too much attention to ourselves. Kime's infamous reputation is well-known there as well so I always have to be careful of my actions._

_Right now, I'm working hard to becoming a good future leader for Kings. The members at Bunkyou accepted me quickly and they treat me very well so please don't worry about me, Nee-sama. My life is going well right now. Being a Kuchiki, I know better than to take this peace for granted so I will enjoy it while it lasts._

_I know you watch over us every day from your place up there but I can never stop wishing you were down here with all of us instead... Just remembering back to a year ago, I can't stop thinking it is my fault that you left us… If I hadn't-_

_I'm sorry._

_I don't think you want to hear this from me. I think I've gone soft over this past year…_

_Sigh… _

_Please continue to watch over us and keep us safe. I know Nii-sama needs you as his guardian angel. You have been the queen of Kings for so long, after all. I won't say much more because I don't want you to get too worried but… Please don't let another person from Kings – our dear family members – leave us._

_I need to go now, but I promise I'll be back soon. Each and every one of us respects you, misses you and loves you with all our hearts, Nee-sama. _

_Goodbye._

I gently touched the stone in front of me, tracing my fingers over the name of the grave and stood up. I left the grave, trailing my hand on top of it longingly as I left. The blue sky stretched on endlessly above me and I stared at it while imagining my sister looking back at me. I then looked at the bouquet of flowers I held in my arms. Breathing in a lungful of the fresh mountain air, I headed to off to another, smaller grave. His death anniversary was still a fortnight away but I decided to visit him anyway.

"Shiba Kaien…" I read the name on the grave under my breath. I kneeled in front of his grave stone and placed the flowers on the grave but this time, unlike when I was with my sister, I kept quiet. I watched the clouds lazily float past.

It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to him. I just didn't know what to say. There _was_ nothing to say. Love, hate, guilt, regret, respect, frustration, doubt, understanding… Nothing I said to him would express even one-hundredth of those emotions I was feeling.

So, I just sat there in a weirdly comfortable silence while staring blankly into the distance. After a while, I got back onto my feet and bowed, "Rest in peace, Kaien Nii-chan."

As I headed away, I was surprised to hear a voice behind me.

"Oh? You've already had a visitor?" A cheerful female voice said.

I glanced back to see a woman with her long black hair tied up and looking oddly happy for someone who is visiting a graveyard. Our eyes met and she bowed before turning her attention back to the gravestone.

Weird...all the graves in this area belong to members of the Kuchiki family or Kings, but I've never seen her before. I searched my memory as I climbed down the stairs but I couldn't remember who she was. I decided I would think about it later.

I stretched and checked my watch. I clicked my tongue when I realised it was already 1PM. If I didn't hurry back, I would be late for my afternoon tutorial.

I didn't tell anyone I would be back in Karakura that day because I couldn't stay long. The only sign that I had been in town was the two bouquets resting against the gravestones of the two important people who I would always respect in my life.

* * *

"So this is where you eat," Ichigo said sitting down beside me against the tree.

"Only when Akane and Nobara aren't around," I explained. "For some reason they rather eat lunch at crowded places."

He laughed at my comment before asking, "So, where were you this morning? I woke up and you weren't home."

"I went to visit my sister's grave," I said in a casual tone as if commenting about the weather.

"Oh, I see…" I watched him struggle for something to say. "Um, did you say hi to Urahara-san and the others?"

I shook my head, "I had to hurry back for my tutorial."

"Oh…"

"Where should we have dinner today?"

"Wha-?"

"I feel like eating at that Italian restaurant," I continued to say whilst ignoring his surprise at the sudden change of topic. "You know, the one Yuki-sempai recommended."

Yuki was a 4th year business student. We had become good friends soon after I entered the university and we sometimes got together after classes with other students from the business department.

"Uh, sure," he nodded.

"Rukia-san, are you here again?" Ichigo and I sat up in surprise.

"Go," I shooed him away quickly. It would be chaotic if anyone found out about us. "I'll meet you back at the apartment after class."

He nodded and as soon as he left Akane and Nobara arrived. Tanaka Akane was a kind girl who was a bit shy. She had auburn-coloured hair tied in pigtails. Yoshikawa Nobara, a tall girl with shoulder-length black hair with dark-red streaks, was the more outgoing one of the two.

I plastered a smile on my face as they fussed over me before dragging me back to our usual eating place. The rest of the afternoon passed like usual and I hurried back home when my class finished.

"Food… Not food… Food… Not food… foo-"

"Ichigo, what are you doing?" I questioned in confusion. When I had finally arrived back at my penthouse apartment after my tutorial, the first thing I saw when I entered was Ichigo sitting at the kitchen bench holding a carrot stick while talking to Chappy with a hilariously serious expression.

He glanced at me before eyeing the rabbit, "I woke up from my afternoon nap with her nibbling on my hair again. It's the fifth time this month."

I stifled a giggle, "Chappy likes you a lot. You should feel honoured."

"You wish," he rolled his eyes. He dangled the vegetable in front of Chappy just out of her reach and watched her trying to touch it. Not wanting to see Ichigo tease my pet any longer, I took the carrot from him and gave it to Chappy who began nibbling on it earnestly.

"I thought that, after a year, she would get bored of my hair," Ichigo sighed in defeat.

"It's your fault for having such an amusing hair colour," I ruffled his hair.

"It's not my fault," he grumbled. "Blame my old man."

I scoffed, "How is it his fault? He has perfectly normal black hair."

"Stupid hidden ancestral genes," was his only reply. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer, "Let's go dinner. I booked a table as soon as I got home."

"Perfect."

The restaurant was completely full and the food tasted better than I had expected. Afterwards, Ichigo dragged me to buy reference books and in return I forced him to go buy some clothes with me. We ended up walking aimlessly in the shopping district, not wanting to return home yet but not knowing where we should go to kill time. Occasionally, Ichigo would look around uneasily at the few guards trailing behind us a few metres away. Unlike me, he wasn't used to having bodyguards close by but he knew better than to complain about calling them off.

Being the sister of an internationally famous lawyer who was also the current CEO of Kuchiki Enterprise, a company that owned chains of restaurants, hotels, pubs, hospitals and the like, experiencing one or two attempted kidnappings every now and then was the norm. However, they were also there to be on the lookout for enemies from the yakuza world. My identity as Kime, the future leader of one of the biggest yakuza organisations in Japan, was a well-kept secret amongst Kings. Only a certain few from other yakuza organizations knew what I looked like and, to the smaller and weaker yakuza groups, I was only an urban legend. But that still didn't mean it was safe to slack off.

Ichigo would hate me for saying this but, the main reason why I allowed the guards to be with us was to ensure Ichigo wouldn't get hurt. I secretly made sure there were body guards with him when we weren't together. I don't know what I would do if Ichigo was dragged into fights because of me. If he got hurt, I would never forgive myself.

"Rukia?"

"What?" I turned to look at him questioningly.

"You've been staring at the same bag for 10 minutes. Do you want to buy it?"

I looked at the hideously designed green handbag in the window before shaking my head, "No, on second thoughts, I don't really like it. Let's go to the next store."

"Tch, girls," I heard him mutter as we left the shop. I ignored him.

When we finally returned back to our apartment, it was nearly 11.

"Welcome back, Rukia-sama, Ichigo-sama," two people in the foyer bowed and greeted. There were always at least two people on duty in the apartment, in case anything happened.

Ichigo gave them a quick bow back and I rolled my eyes, "You don't need to do that, Carrot."

"Unlike you, I don't treat everyone like air," he retorted.

I ignored his comment and headed to the lift. As we waited for the lift to arrive a group of people, the ones who were guarding us before, entered the apartment and headed into a door near the back, bowing to us as they walked passed.

"Rukia-sama," a slender man with short and messy black hair emerged a few moments later from the same door and walked toward us. He was the manager of the apartment and was also the head of security. "There is something we need to talk about…"

"Ichigo, you go up first," I said. Ichigo looked at me for a moment, probably thinking of a reason to stay, but when the doors of the lift opened he reluctantly stepped inside.

"What's wrong, Ulquiorra?" I turned to the male standing silently beside me.

"Someone from the group of people who were in charge of following you two is missing," he said in his usual bored tone.

"Is what?" I asked quite stupidly.

Ulquiorra passed me a picture of the missing person, "As you know, each person is meant to call back every 10 to 15 minutes, but we haven't heard of him in nearly half an hour."

"Maybe he got distracted and forgot about his job," I replied him in forced optimism. He continued to look at me wordlessly until I sighed. "Give him another thirty minutes. If he isn't back by then, send a group out to search the area. Find out where he was when he last contacted you before he went missing and see where he could've gone. I doubt he's left the area."

"Should we tell K?"

"No," I said quickly before biting my lip. Nii-sama put Bunkyou, along with neighbouring cities around Bunkyou, in my hands when I came to live here. I refused to rely on him because he would be disappointed. "This is only a small matter that can easily be resolved. Call me when he is found and depending on his reason for leaving his post, I will carry out a suitable punishment." It was highly unlikely because, from the moment they joined Kings and were assigned as guards the importance of doing their job right was drilled into them but I refused to think too negatively.

"Yes, Kime-sama, as you wish," Ulquiorra bowed before leaving to carry out my orders.

With that, the peaceful university life I had been living in began to crumble…

* * *

Thoughts, anyone?

I wrote this chapter to kind of set the scene =3

Oh... and a really off topic question... Does anyone here happen to read/watch Kuroko no Basket? It's coming out soon and I'm just so excited XD I've been waiting the whole year for season two~ Ahem anyway...

Until next time~

-AO-


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello everyone ^^ I'm going out today so I decided to quickly post this before I leave XD

Please enjoy~

* * *

"Rukia-san," I looked up at the sound of my name. Several girls stood around me as other students filed out the room. A couple of guys looked my way as they walked passed but they all hurried away when the girls glared at them.

"You gotta be careful of those boys, Rukia-san," Nobara warned as she stood protectively in front of me. "Who's knows what they're planning in that simple mind of theirs."

When I was still in high school, most of the boys were scared of me because I was the unyielding student council president so I've never had problems with them before (well, except a certain orange-haired boy). On the first day of school, Nobara and the some other girls in my class saw me – a short, skinny and seemingly vulnerable girl – and decided it was their job to protect me from the males in our class. It felt strange to be 'protected' by them but I couldn't help but acknowledge their efforts because not a single male has made it through their barrier yet.

"Rukia-san, there's a new cake shop that opened near here and we were wondering if you wanted to come with us?" Akane said with a smile.

"No, not today, sorry," I gave them an apologetic smile while straightening my glasses. After wearing them for three whole years in high school as disguise, I felt weird without them so I wore them even in university. "I have to do something for my brother." Or more specifically, his yakuza organisation, I added in my head.

"Aww," Nobara sighed in disappointment. "Rukia-san is so busy these days. It must be hard living up to your brother's expectations."

"I'm used to it," I shrugged with a resigned smile.

"You must come with us next time then," Akane insisted.

"Sure," I waved to them as they left before I packed up my books. After retying my long ponytail, I massaged my cheek while grimacing. All that smiling was really tiring…

As I walked down the busy corridors of the building, I was nearly run over by a loud group of girls from another class.

"Did you hear? He has class today!"

"I haven't seen him since the start of the month~"

"I wonder why any modelling agencies haven't signed him up yet… If he ever showed up in a magazine, I would buy it!"

"Who cares about magazines when you can see him in real life?"

"I really hope he hasn't gone home yet…"

I stared at the group as if they were some rare species and shook my head. I didn't get why girls would get all excited over a guy. I mean, there are more important things in like than ogling at the opposite gender…

I was slightly dismayed when I saw the girls go in the same direction I was going in. I contemplated taking a detour but changed my mind. This was the fastest route to the entrance gates…

"Oh, Kami-sama," I covered my ears and winced when a girl suddenly squealed. "He's coming out of the building now! We made it just in time."

I gave an exasperated sigh while fighting the urge to punch them or yell at them. Rolling my eyes, I continued to make my way calmly to the gates of the campus.

"Rukia!" Ichigo came running up to me.

"Oh, good afternoon," I replied while making sure we were a 'safe' distance apart. One could never be too careful.

"Are you heading home?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "Don't you usually go to the library after class?"

He shrugged, "I still haven't read the reference books I got last time. And then there's also them…" He pointed to the area to his left with his chin.

The group of girls I had passed before were looking around franticly, trying to find where Ichigo had gone. His ability to escape amazes even me sometimes. "Oh," was my only answer.

"Shall we go home?" He suggested.

After looking at the group of confused girls for another few seconds, I nodded, "Sure, but is it okay to leave them like this?"

Ichigo just shrugged, "I'm used to it."

"Your self-esteem is too high," I scoffed.

But it was true, after spending more time with Ichigo during our last year of high school, I realised he was actually pretty popular. Not only was he good at sport, but he excelled in his studies as well. Despite his gangster-wannabe attitude he had before he met me, he actually had a great personality and always helped out his friends who were in need.

I looked at my boyfriend as I walked behind him and my hand tightened on the straps of my bag.

Ichigo was so normal before he met me and his future would've been very promising. He probably had a whole line of girls waiting to date him, but of all the girls he could choose from, he had to choose me. When I thought about that, I couldn't help but become slightly melancholy. If he had met a normal girl, he would've had a much happier and safer life. I don't know how many times I told him to think it through and change his mind about us dating but he would always avoid the topic. But who in their right mind would want to purposefully put themselves in danger?

"Rukia, what are you thinking?"

"Nothing," I replied a bit too quickly.

He wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Oi," I tried to step away from him but he held on tighter. "What if someone from the university sees? They're not supposed to know we are da-"

"You're better than all those girls back there, you know, Usagi-kaichou," he cut me off.

I clicked my tongue and chided him for calling me that old nickname to hide my surprise. "Of course I'm better than them, Carrot. I'm Kuchiki Rukia, after all, the next heir of the Kuchiki family," I rolled my eyes.

He ruffled my hair and we walked back to our apartment while he talked about his day. I looked at our intertwined fingers and held on tighter. He squeezed my hand gently and I had to look away to prevent him from seeing the stupid grin on my face.

* * *

"What did you just tell me?" I said in a frighteningly calm voice.

Ulquiorra was unfazed by my tone, which was probably why he was assigned to this job, "I said another person has gone missing."

I breathed out slowly, "When?"

"Around 2 hours ago," he answered, "While guarding you and Ichigo-sama when you were coming home from school. This is the third person this month."

I rubbed my temples. One person was disappearing each week but there was no evidence of who kidnapped them. "Get me the map."

I glared at the 3 black dots on the map of Bunkyou. The locations of the abductions were in different ends of the area. "Have there been any threats lately?"

"No."

"Are there any yakuza groups that Kings angered?"

"No."

"Have you considered opposing companies of Kuchiki Enterprise?"

"We have already looked into it, but it is highly unlikely. The companies in the area are all in partnerships with our company," Ulquiorra checked the files in his hand.

I leaned back in my chair. If it wasn't any of the large organisations, both from _this_ side and _that_ side, then it was probably a new or little-known group. "Send some people to walk around the area. Maybe they will pick up on some news or rumours about this or even from the perpetrators themselves. Amateurs are usually stupid enough to talk about their plans in public."

I bit my lip. No, the abductions went too smoothly to be conducted by amateurs. Kings' members had a certain standard of self-defence skills so it would be hard to take them down.

Think, think, think!

Who could be carrying out these abductions? Taunting Kings like this, I gritted my teeth. They were playing with fire and, whether they are a big or small organisation, they were definitely going to get hurt. But first, I needed to figure out who they were…

Before I broke something out of frustration, I quickly strode out of the room.

"I'm going for a ride," I told the receptionist. Several people in the foyer widened their eyes and took an involuntary step back when they saw the fury in my eyes.

Heading straight to the car park and ignoring the calls of some guards telling me to slow down, I quickly got on my white motorbike and sped off. Anger was clouding my brain, stopping me from thinking straight, and the only way to get rid of it was this. My surroundings became one big blur and the only things I focused on were my motorbike and the road in front of me. I let out an exhilarated laugh that was muffled by my helmet.

* * *

Four hours and winning three random street-racing competitions later, I was back in my apartment. Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I headed inside. I found Ichigo lying on the couch watching the news.

"Hey," he greeted and sat up. "Welcome home."

"I'm back," I settled onto the couch. He immediately draped his arm across my shoulders and I leaned against him.

"You've been at that manager's office this whole time?"

"No, I've been out on my motorbike for the last four hours."

"Should've known," he rolled his eyes. He's known me long enough to not be surprised by the amount of time I spend with my motorbike. "So, did you rob money from some poor strangers again?"

I punched his arm lightly, "I won them fair and square."

He scoffed, "Yeah right, you're basically a professional racer."

"Why thank you," I said cheekily before something on the TV screen caught my eye.

"Police have cordoned off the area near the shop," the host reported with a solemn expression. "A businessman was walking down the alley around 8PM when he encountered the corpse. He has been in shock since. The police are still searching for any other witnesses. If you have any information, please contact them immediately."

My eyes were glued to the photo on the screen for a full five seconds before I stood up and snatched my phone, "Ulquiorra, did you see the report? Good. I don't care what you do just make sure I get to see that male. We should have a few contacts in the police force. I'll meet you in the foyer in five minutes."

"Rukia? What's wrong?" Ichigo called out in alarm.

"Don't worry about it," I told him while I quickly changed into something plain, donned a long, brown wig and grabbed a pair of large glasses.

"Can I-"

"Stay here," I told him when I realised what he was going to say. "You stand out too much."

And I don't want to drag you into this…

"Oi, Rukia," he called after me as I waited for the lift to arrive.

"Carrot, you have class tomorrow," I said while looking at him sternly. "You should go rest."

Our impromptu staring competition lasted until the doors of the lift finally slid open.

"Fine," Ichigo sighed as he watched me enter the lift. "But promise me-"

"I know," I cut him off again. "I'll explain later, ok?" Hopefully I can avoid telling him about this until after everything has been sorted out, I thought and crossed my fingers.

The doors slid shut before he could say anything more. I heaved a deep sigh before reaching for my phone. As much as I didn't want to do this, things were getting out of hand.

"K," I said into the phone.

"I saw the news," he said in a calm voice.

"I'm heading over now."

"I expect a report within 24 hours," he stated before hanging up.

Letting out a breath I hadn't realised I had been holding, I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. Even though we had anticipated that this would happen, it was still agonizing to see the death of someone from the family.

If they thought they could kill one of us and get away with it…

I gritted my teeth and slammed by fist against the wall of the lift.

If I don't get to the bottom of this, I'm not Kime!

* * *

Thoughts, anyone?

Hopefully from the next chapter onward the pace of the story will be quicker...

Oh, and, if you have any ideas or want me to include anything in this story please don't hesitate to tell me. I'll try my best to include them somewhere XD

Until next time~

-AO-


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello everyone ^^ Hopefully you'll find this week's chapter a bit more eventful XD

Please enjoy~

* * *

His name was Maeda Jun. But his odd fixation with the Western culture influenced him into introducing himself as 'Johnny' instead. Jun was the first person who went missing. Despite our efforts for the past 3 weeks, we weren't able to find clues on who the kidnappers were and where the three missing members were taken to.

I was told that he joined Kings at the age of 16, five years ago. With his wide eyes and naive attitude, he often seemed like a curious child. When I first came to Bunkyou, every member of Kings was thrilled to finally meet the so-called princess of the gang, Kime, but he showed more enthusiasm than everyone else. The smile he gave me the first time I met him earlier this year was filled with excitement and his eyes always looked at me with admiration…

But he would never open his eyes and look at me like that again.

I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth when I saw his cold, motionless body lying on the examination table on the other side of the glass. The forensic scientist passed me a folder and I scanned through the documents.

… No DNA of the attacker was found… I skimmed through the rushed handwriting and barely processed what was on the paper… Signs of torture… I flipped to the next page of the report and saw a photo of the area on his arm where the 'K' that signified his acceptance into the gang was tattooed at. In the picture, a single 'S' had been carved into the flesh – an obvious taunt directed at us.

I forced myself to remain calm and began going through a mental list of all the gangs around the area with an 'S' in their name but all the organisations I thought of had either formed a truce with us or were too weak to carry out the kidnapping.

Could it be an inside job?

"Kime," Ulquiorra interrupted my thoughts. "We should head back. It's nearing 3AM."

I nodded my head reluctantly, "Get a copy of these reports. I want to reread them when we get back."

That night - or should I say morning - I laid in my bed wide awake as millions of thoughts raced through my mind. Ichigo was thankfully already asleep so I was able to postpone the promised explanation. Eventually, I gave up and sat at my desk and spent the next few hours rereading and summarising the report for my brother.

* * *

"Rukia?"

I sat up in my chair in surprise and then groaned. I looked up at Ichigo while rubbing my stiff neck. He looked back worriedly and began to massage my shoulders for me. "When did you get back?"

"3? 4? I forgot," I shrugged then winced. I didn't even remember when I'd fallen asleep. I checked my laptop and was glad I had already sent the email to my brother.

"You should get some more sleep. You don't have classes today right?"

"I'll be fine."

Ichigo didn't seem convinced and nagged me to get some sleep until he had to leave for his morning lecture. I sighed in relief when I was finally left alone but my peace was interrupted by my mobile.

"Sleep."

I rolled my eyes, "Just concentrate on your lecture, stupid Carrot."

"I can't concentrate when I know you're pushing yourself again. You looked really pale this morning."

"I said I'll be fine," I reassured him. "Stop worrying and go to class."

"Ru-"

Ignoring the pang of guilt, I quickly hung up and turned it off. I lay down on my bed and stared at the white ceiling while rubbing my face tiredly. The night Jun went missing, Ichigo and I were around the east side of the area… I recalled the shops we walked past, trying to find anything out of place but everything was normal. We weren't near any places that belonged to other gangs so we weren't trespassing on anyone's territory. Even if we did stumble on someone else's territory and angered them, they wouldn't have known I was Kime, let alone who my guards were and attack them.

I needed to get this figured out before Ichigo asks me about it again. He will without doubt try to intervene and that is the last thing I want him to do. I already dragged him too far into this world, I won't let him get dragged into this more than necessary. It's too dangerous. If he ended up getting hurt because of me…I stopped my thoughts right there before I started debating with myself again. Now wasn't the time to do that. Ever since we started dating, I would keep finding myself thinking if it was a good idea. Common sense told me to break up with him right away but my heart would always find a reason not to…

I sighed in frustration and rolled over. Reaching into the drawer of my bedside table, I took out another phone that I usually used to contact other people from Kings. After a few rings, Ulquiorra picked up.

"I'm going to have a look around the place Ichigo and I was when Jun went missing," I told him and hung out without hearing his reply. I didn't need his permission to leave the building but I had promised my brother I would always tell Ulquiorra where I went as a precaution. Depending on the situation Ulquiorra would tell guards to follow me.

Once there, I started memorising what shops and clubs were in the area. Clubs… A feeling of loneliness attacked me when I suddenly thought of Urahara's club and how everyone was always there when I arrived, greeting me with warm smiles. I pushed the thought away and shook my head to clear my mind.

Again, I wasn't able to spot any suspicious shops or people. It was a normal shopping district. So why was Jun attacked here?

Unless… A chill ran down my spine. Unless the attacker had been trailing us, blending into the crowds and waiting for a chance to strike…

A hand tapped my shoulder.

I stiffened before slowly turning to look at the person behind me.

A pale-skinned girl with long, light lilac-coloured hair and matching light-blue eyes looked back at me, "What's wrong with you, Rukia-chan? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Oh, it's only Yuki-sempai," I slowly exhaled to calm my nerves and moved my hand away from the knife hidden beneath the hem of my dress. I formed a slightly strained smile on my face, "Nothing, I think the horror movie I watched last night is bothering me more than I expected."

Yuki gave me a surprised look, "I didn't think you were the type to watch those kinds of movies."

I shrugged with a wry smile, "A friend recommended it to me… "

"I see," I felt myself fidget under her scrutinizing gaze. "Well I was planning on going alone, but since you're here, why don't you come visit the new café with me? I think Yamaguchi-san and the others already went a few days ago."

"Ah, yeah, I remember," I nodded. "I had to do something for my brother so wasn't able to go."

"Well then, all the more reason to come with me," she smiled and we headed off.

As I was pulled along, I struggled out of her grasp and complained but she ignored me completely. I gave an inaudible sigh. Guess a small break wouldn't hurt. I wasn't making any progress anyway.

"I wonder if their strawberry sundaes are good," I thought out aloud.

* * *

My little break lasted longer than I had expected. Three hours, to be exact. I checked my watched and bit my lip in regret. I wasted way too much time. I parted ways with Yuki before climbing onto my bike and heading to the place where Jun's body was found. I spent the next hour or so asking the owners of the surrounding shops for information but learnt nothing new. Either they really didn't see anything or the local yakuza groups threatened them to act ignorant. I sigh heavily, stupid yakuza and their influence. If the civilians weren't allowed to talk about it, then I guess I'd have to gather information from the yakuza members themselves.

Hopping onto my bike, I headed to a club that the local gangs often gathered at. One of the first things I did when I arrived in Bunkyou was memorise the places different groups gathered. You never know when weaker and easily manipulable organisations like them would come in handy. Sometimes it was easy to get information from them but other times they needed a bit more persuasion…

I entered the club. A bar lined the right side and a few people were lounging on couches near the back of the room. No one noticed my arrival because they were so involved in their own conversations but the sound of the door swinging shut behind me caused all of their attention to focus on me.

"I would like to ask a few questions," I said while slowly walking forward. They visibly tensed but didn't move from their seats. "What do you know about the kidnappings that have been happening recently?"

"Who do you think you are walking in and talking as if you own this place?"

I looked at the balding man who seemed to be the leader of the 30 or so hostile looking men and women surrounding me.

"I don't want to cause any trouble," I replied calmly. "I'm just here for some information."

"Leave," Baldy ordered. "We don't know anything."

"Oh, is that so?" I cocked my head and widened my eyes in surprise before swiftly taking out my knives and smiling dangerously at them. Before anyone of them moved, I flung my knife at a man sitting by the bar with a flick of my wrist. The blade sunk into his calf and he clutched at it while roaring from the pain.

"How about now?" I asked them again.

"You brat, we'll make you regret coming here!"

I rolled my eyes upon hearing Baldy's clichéd threat before quickly ducking an oncoming punch. I used the back of my knife to hit the nape of his neck. He was unconscious before he hit the ground. I clicked my tongue and adjusted my strength. I needed them conscious so I could question them…

Two came up from behind and I kicked the first in the stomach. They stumbled backwards and ran into the second person and the both of them fell to the ground.

"Too easy," I said under my breath. "I could beat you all even with my eyes closed."

"Don't get so cocky, bitch," someone grabbed my neck and growled. I felt the icy barrel of the gun press against my temple.

"Me, cocky?" I looked up to see my attacker who was standing behind me. "I have more experience in fighting than all of you added together." I kicked him on the knee and smiling contently when I heard a crack. The man doubled over and I took his gun. I twirled the gun while surveying my opponents who were looking at the gun in my hand warily. I emptied the magazine before throwing the gun away not caring where it went. I never liked using guns as they took out the fun in fighting.

I lifted my hand and crooked my finger. "What happened to making me regret coming here?" I provoked.

With an enraged roar, they came onto me and I accepted their attacks eagerly.

Settling into university was more taxing than I expected so, until recently, I haven't been involved in any fights. I hadn't realised how much I missed it.

A small smile formed on my face and I quickly erased it while chiding myself for having such bloodlust.

The balding man pounced on me while I was deep in thought and he pinned me to the group by grabbing both of my wrists in his hands.

"Cocky bitch, this is a lesson to not mess with adults like us," He sneered in my face.

I turned away in disgust at the saliva flying from mouth like rain. Summoning all my strength, I kicked him hard and he rolled away gasping in pain. The kick was a bit under the belt (no pun intended) but it was the first counter-attack that came to my head. I left him lying there and retrieved my fallen knives. Without wasting another second, I charged toward my remaining opponents.

After I made sure I got all the information out of them I left the building inconspicuously. I looked at the closed door, wondering briefly if things had gone smoother if I had just told them I was Kime but I just shrugged and kept walking. The 30 unconscious adults sprawled on the ground inside the building and the words 'Don't fuck with Kings' carved into the wood of the bar was a clear enough message to everyone in the area: the rumours that Kime was in Bunkyou were true and she was finally making her debut.

* * *

I just realised the last line kind of rhymes...

Could this be... a hidden talent for poetry? Haha joking~ XD

Anyways... Thoughts, anyone?

Until next time ^^

-AO-


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello everyone ^^ This week's chapter is a bit short because I've been a bit busy...

*cough*gaming*cough*

What? Who said that? O.O

Anyway~ I'll try write a longer chapter next week so please forgive me XP

Please enjoy~

* * *

I rolled my shoulders tiredly as I entered the foyer of my apartment. I regretted not keeping up my usual daily trainings this year… I had gotten rusty and it took me more time than I should have to get the job done. I urged the lift to come quicker so I could finally eat some dinner.

"Kime-sama."

My dinner… I groaned disappointedly.

With a sigh I turned toward Ulquiorra and tried not to glare at him.

"I'll get someone to cook something for you while we are speaking in my office," he said when he noticed my expression.

My face lit up. Well, that changed things. "What did you want to talk about?"

He spoke up when we were back at his office, "Another person has gone missing. Tomi."

My chest tightened. "Around where?"

He drew a circle using his finger on the map. It was at a completely different place than I was at earlier that day.

"What was he doing in that area?"

"He was in charge of following Kurosaki-san today."

I froze. They weren't just targeting me?

"Kime-sama?"

"Do you know any other information besides that?"

"Tomi's kidnappers left something around the area Tomi was taken," Ulquiorra said quietly. "It was the body of the second person who went missing. His condition is like Jun's and an 'S' was branded over the tattoo on his calf. We were the first ones to see the body and we hid he news from the media."

"Good," I massaged my temple. What the hell was happening…?

"We are still going through the recordings from the security cameras in the surrounding area but when we find something I will contact you."

"I had a talk with yakuza members from another group today," I told him. "The person who placed Jun's body there came from a different organisation from them but they managed to get a rough description of the culprits. They saw two people, a male and a female, in a white van stop at the entrance of an alley. The man who dumped Jun's body there had wavy, dark brown hair and was taller than average. The woman stayed in the car but they've seen her before so they know what she looks like. According to them she has wavy, long hair with hazel eyes. I'll write up everything I heard in more detail and send it to you later."

"I understand. Oh, and Kurosaki-san wasn't harmed so he doesn't know what happened," he added.

"Ok," I said half-heartedly and heading for the door. "I'll drop off the report before I go to class tomorrow." I was in the lift before he even uttered a reply.

"Carrot? I'm home," I called while taking off my shoes. I found him sitting at his laptop, tapping away while his headphones blasted music into his ears. I slid them off and he looked up in surprise.

"Hey," he smiled. "Where have you been all this time? Your phone was off. I couldn't contact you all day. Do you know h– woah!" His sentence was cut off when I threw my arms around his neck.

"Rukia?" I hid my face in the crook of his neck.

Despite all the promises I made to myself, I still put you in danger. I want to hit myself. I'm sorry, Ichigo, I'm so sorry…

"Usagi-Kaichou," he grabbed my shoulders and gently pushed me back so he could look into my eyes.

"I'm not a Kaichou anymore," I reminded him while avoiding his eyes.

"Do I look like I care?" he put his finger under my cheek and forced me to look at him. "You still owe me an explanation by the way. You promised-"

"That I wouldn't keep anything from you," I finished for him, "Even if it means putting you in danger."

"Because I'd rather be in danger than not know what's happening and let my girlfriend be in danger by herself."

"I know," I sighed and bit my lip. I looked into the brown eyes that I have come to love so much and made up my mind.

"I'll explain everything after I sort things out."

"That ruins the whole point of making the promise," He frowned. "Don't forget I was the number one delinquent in Karakura. I know how to take care of myself."

"No, you don't," I objected. "This is nothing like high school gangs, Ichigo."

"It's way more dangerous and serious and you will die if I make the wrong move. You've told me many times, Rukia, I know what I'm signing up for."

"Ichi-"

"Stop treating me like some doll made out of glass. I want to be with you as an equal and not someone you need to protect all the time."

I looked at my feet, not knowing what I should say after his outburst.

"I just don't want you to get too involved with the yakuza world," I said quietly.

"Well it's a bit late now isn't it," he retorted sarcastically, "Since I'm dating the future leader of one of Japan's largest yakuza organisations."

"Well, I'm sorry for dragging you into this…" I brushed his hands off my shoulders and walked out of his room.

"Oi, I didn't mean it that way… Oi!" He scrambled out of his chair and grabbed my arm. He placed his hand on the space beside my head and effectively blocked me between him and the wall.

I looked up at him. "Ichigo, do you trust me?"

"I do," he said without hesitating.

"Then don't worry about this and let me sort this out myself."

"Why are you so stubborn," he groaned but eventually sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll let this go this time."

"Thank you," I said with a smile. "Try not to get into any trouble, ok?"

"Well, I haven't caused any fights since I entered university so," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "but I think that chick I flirted with last week might've been some yakuza boss' secret daughter."

"What?"

"I was joking," he quickly said when I glared at him. "Just wanted to lighten up the mood… Have you had dinner yet?"

"I had some spaghetti when I was talking with Ulquiorra before."

"Good," he nodded approvingly. "You should get some sleep. It's already passed midnight."

"But I need to work on-"

"Go take a shower and sleep, Usagi-Kaichou," he pushed me toward the bathroom. "You need rest! You look like a zombie. I'm taking your laptop so you can't work on whatever you need to work on behind my back. You can get it off me tomorrow morning."

"I'll be fine," I insisted but he kept frowning at me so I had no choice but to do what he said.

"Rukia."

"What now?"

He surprised me by hugging me from behind and resting his chin on top of my head, "I really didn't mean it that way when I said those things before, so don't take it the wrong way."

"I know," I reassured him.

"I'll never regret becoming your boyfriend, Rukia," He leaned down, placed a quick kiss on my lips and went back to his room. "Good night and sweet dreams, Usagi-Kaichou," he said while chuckling at my face.

"Baka," I muttered while I fought my oncoming blush.

* * *

Thoughts, anyone?

Until next time ^^

-AO-


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello everyone ^^ A slightly longer chapter this week =D I posted super early this week so I can start studying for my exams... But I'll probably just procrastinate for the whole day Q.Q

Please enjoy~

* * *

"_Get out of my sight!"_

_I rubbed my eyes and sat up in my bed. I walked outside of my room and stopped at the top of the stairs. Something told me I shouldn't be seen so I watched the scene below through the railings. From my spot, I could just see our large front door._

_I barely recognised the girl standing there. I had never seen my sister that angry. Her face was distorted into a scary scowl. My brother-in-law stood beside her, but was just observing the scene in front of him intently. A middle-aged couple stood just outside the door, looking a bit nervous._

"_What are you still doing here?" I was shocked to hear my sister's enraged yell. Was that really my sister? "I thought I told you to leave."_

"_Please, Nana-chan," the woman pleaded. She was slightly plump, had light-brown, curly hair and her hazel-coloured eyes glistened with tears. "Just five minutes. I only want to see Ruru-chan for five minutes. Please!"_

"_You have no right to see her," my sister's cold voice sent a chill down my spine. "Not after what you did to us."_

"_We're really sorry, Nana-chan," the male spoke up. "We weren't thinking straight. Please let us make it up to yo-"_

"_You," my sister interrupted, "physically abused Rukia and me. She was only an infant. She had done nothing wrong and yet you hit her. Did you know she was on the verge of dying when I finally took her and left? Living with you two alcoholics was more dangerous than living on the streets!"_

"_You must understand, Nana," the man replied softly. "We were going through hard times. But now it's over so please come back. We can be one happy family again."_

"_My family is right here," Hisana replied evenly._

"_Nana-chan," he raised his voice. "Come home this instant. I will not allow an underage girl like you to stay here with this man. It's absolutely prepo-"_

"_I'm not underage anymore," she interrupted him in disgust. "I haven't been for the past three years!"_

_The man looked genuinely flustered, "I…"_

"_Get out of my sight," Hisana repeated her earlier words. "I'm surprised you even dared to show up here in the first place."_

"_You," the man suddenly pointed a finger at my brother. "What have you done to my daughter to make her treat us like this? It's your fault!"_

"_Keep him out of this, old man," Hisana said before my brother opened his mouth. "I made this decision on my own. Unlike you two, he isn't some manipulative, abusive freak." _

"_Nana-chan!" the woman cried._

"_Don't call me that," my sister snapped. "You two don't fit to be our parents."_

"_Come home," the woman looked pleadingly at my sister who glared back in return._

"_My home is here," my sister hissed. "Now get out of our lives."_

"_Let me see her, please! Just one quick glance is enough," The woman begged quietly._

"_Over my dead body," Hisana responded icily and motioned with her hand._

_Two men appeared at the door and lead the couple away. The woman screamed as she was dragged away. My sister looked away and closed the doors with a loud bang. I watched my sister slide to the floor and sit in a foetal position._

"_You should've let me handle it," my brother sat down beside her and ran his hand through her hair._

_My sister shook her head, "No, this is my problem. I should've fixed this a long time ago."_

"_Nee-sama," I called out while walking toward her warily._

_She looked up in surprise and gave me a tired smile. She held out her arms. I studied her expression and found she had returned to normal. I ran up to her and she hugged me tightly. "Nee-sama, don't cry," I patted her head._

_She hugged me tighter, "As long as I'm alive, I'll never let them come close to you, Rukia…"_

I woke up with a jolt. I sat up and looked around before remembering where I was. Sighing heavily, I lay back down on my bed and rubbed my eyes tiredly. It was barely three in the morning.

I tried to get back to sleep but the dream kept haunting me. My sister's angry face kept popping up and that those two adults.

After tossing and turning for a whole thirty minutes I gave up. I walked to Ichigo's room and slipped inside.

"Rukia?" Ichigo called sleepily when I climbed into his bed. "What's wrong?"

I snuggled up close to him and his arm went around me, "I had a bad dream and now I can't sleep."

He ruffled my hair, "You sound like a little kid."

"Shut up," I scowled and lightly punched him.

"Want to talk about it?"

"It's ok. It was just a memory from a long time ago," I replied. When he didn't say anything, I looked up and realised he was already asleep. I closed my eyes and his slow breathing lulled me back to sleep.

* * *

"Rukia-san," Akane greeted. "I heard you went to the café with Yuki-sempai."

"Yeah," I replied her. "We bumped into each other and she made me go with her."

She pouted, "Not fair. You went without us."

"Yeah, you have to make it up to us," Nobara said. "Let's go shopping this afternoon!"

"But Nobara-san-"

"Nope," Nobara shook her finger at me. "You said no last time so this time you must come with us!"

I looked at the two girls staring at me and sighed, "Fine."

"Yay!" Akane cheered. "I found this shop the other day and the style of the clothes just screamed your name. You're going to love that shop!"

I had no idea how clothes can 'scream my name' but I just nodded and smiled. It was less fuss that way. "I'll meet you two at the gates. I need to return some books to the library."

"Sure," Akane nodded and they left the classroom.

I packed up my belongings and pulled out my phone. "Ulquiorra, have the police made any progress?"

"No yet. We've got a few of our men out searching for clues as well."

"Ok, good. I'll call you back later."

After pocketing my phone, I left my classroom and headed for the exit of the building. As I passed one of the corridors, I felt a chill run down my back and I swivelled around in alarm.

Murderous intent…? I widened my eyes and approached the source carefully.

"Why did you stop me?" I heard one guy ask. "She was finally alone!"

"Don't do whatever you were planning to do," a voice replied. Ichigo's voice? I frowned and peeped into the corridor. Ichigo was facing two boys from my class with his hands crossed.

"You have no right to tell me what to do!"

"Even if you asked her out, you would get rejected right away," Ichigo said to him.

"What? You think I'm not good enough for her?" The guy grabbed Ichigo's collar angrily. "Just because most of the girls here have got their eyes on you doesn't mean Kuchiki-san does as well!"

Me…? I stepped back in alarm. Someone was going to confess to me?

"Stop being so selfish, man," the other guy spoke for the first time. "You can't just go and steal all the chicks. Leave some for us."

"I'm just trying to stop him before he gets depressed from being turned out. Someone like him isn't good enough for her."

"Oh, and you are?" He scoffed. "I've heard the rumours. You already have Matsumoto Rangiku, don't you? So YOU keep away from Kuchiki Rukia!"

"I am not going out with Matsumoto Rangiku," Ichigo told them angrily. "There is nothing going on between us!"

What? Who is this Matsumoto Rangiku? Is there something Ichigo isn't telling me?

"The next time you try to stop me from talking to Kuchiki-san, I will seriously punch you!"

I heard footsteps coming toward me so I quickly left the scene.

"What took you so long, Rukia-san!" Nobara frowned at me with her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry, Nobara-san," I apologised. "I got distracted with something."

"Let's get going," Akane urged. "My part-time work starts at 6."

"Do you two happen to know a girl called Matsumoto?" I blurted out without thinking.

"Hmm… do you mean Matsumoto Rangiku-san?" I nodded slowly and Akane kept talking. "She's a med student who is graduating this year. I've talked to her a few times and she seems really nice. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing much, I just heard someone talk about her and got a little curious," I said and laughed.

"She's quite popular," Nobara added. "I'm surprised you don't know her. She's really friendly, kind and easy-going and guys can't stop thinking about her after they see her."

"Is she really that beautiful?"

"Let's say she has a good figure," she shrugged. "You know how guys are. Those pervs…"

"Enough about her," Akane clapped her hands to get our attention. "We've arrived, guys!"

I looked around and silently cursed. We were in another gang's territory. I scanned the are but didn't spot any suspicious looking people. The yakuza from this place probably won't even know who I am anyway, so there shouldn't be a problem, I persuaded myself. Even if they did figure out who I am, they won't cause a disturbance in broad daylight. I managed to calm down a little and entered the store.

The shop seemed normal enough. Despite what Akane said about the clothes 'screaming my name' I found nothing interesting. The clothes were stylish but I couldn't imagine myself wearing them. The two girls gushed over the cute clothes while I looked at the clothes on the stands indifferently whilst trying not to think about that Matsumoto girl or being in someone else's territory.

"Excuse me, how may I help you?" A shop assistant with long, wavy blond hair appeared beside me and asked cheerfully.

"No, it's fine. I'm just looking…" my voice trailed off when I saw her name tag.

Matsumoto Rangiku...?

* * *

Ooooh... Matsumoto showed up~

What's going to happen next...? XD

Thoughts anyone?

Until next time~

-AO-


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello everyone ^^ I'm feeling super tired because I've been studying a lot for my tests but I still managed to get some time to get this chapter done =D I only have one examleft and then I'm free! So excited~ XD

Please enjoy~

* * *

I stared at her while I tried to find something to say.

Matsumoto tapped her finger on her cheek thoughtfully, "I think I've seen you somewhere before."

"I'm Kuchiki Rukia," I bowed slightly as I introduced myself. "I go to the same university as you but I study business." And I'm also Ichigo's girlfriend. Yes, the same Ichigo that people think is going out with you, I added in my head.

"It's Matsumoto-sempai," Akane suddenly appeared beside me and looked at her with twinkling eyes. "I never knew you worked here."

"I started working here a fortnight ago," Matsumoto replied. "Did you girls find anything you like?"

"The clothes here are so pretty," Akane nodded. "Do you think you can find something good for Rukia-san to wear? She hardly pays attention to what she's wearing. It's such a waste since she's actually really pretty, right?"

But I do pay attention to what I wear, I wanted to retaliate. I choose clothes that don't stand out and make me easy to forget…

I fidgeted under Matsumoto's scrutinizing gaze before she clapped her hands excitedly, "I know exactly what types of clothes will suit you! Let's give you a make-over."

She dragged me around the shop with so much enthusiasm that I felt bad if I turned down her offer so I stayed quiet. The three girls kept handing me clothes to try out and gushed every time I walked out of the fitting room in different outfits.

Why am I here again? I sighed as I tried on yet another dress. It was a white, strapless one that ended just above my knees. The dress was quite plain but the bottom half of the dress had patterns embroidered on it. I touched the fabric and was surprised by how soft it was.

"Rukia-san, are you done yet?"

"Yeah," I called and walked out of the fitting room.

"You look amazing!" Akane gushed happily. "Wait, don't move! Let me take a photo!"

"Eh…" I sighed but stayed still until she finished snapping photos.

"You should really buy this," Matsumoto piped up. "It looks great on you!"

I looked down at the dress and bit my lip. Well, I suppose I could wear it to those cocktail parties that brother always drags me to…

Three hours later, I stepped out of the shop carrying three bags in each hand that were filled to the brim with clothes.

"Wow," Nobara peered at the bags. "So this is how rich people shop…"

"No, I don't usually do this… It's because you guys kept telling me to buy the these," I shook my head quickly and looked at the clothes I bought too. Honestly, how did I end up buying this many? "I only planned to buy one or two."

"I'm so sorry, Rukia-san," Akane apologized and looked at me with teary eyes. "I didn't know you would end up buying most of the clothes we picked for you…"

"Ah, it's fine," I said hurriedly. "My closet was a bit out-dated anyway."

"Really?" Again with the teary eyes… She kind of reminded me of Chappy when she wanted a hug.

"Yeah," I smiled. "Well, I think I should head home. I'll see you guys tomorrow?"

"Make sure you wear your new clothes tomorrow," Akane nodded and waved, "Bye!"

* * *

After tidying up the clothes I bought and put them in my closet, I had a quick dinner. Ichigo had called to say he was going to be home late so I ate by myself.

Well, they really weren't joking when they said she had a good figure, I mused grimly when I had finished eating dinner. I lay down on the couch and used the armrest as a pillow.

Matsumoto is taller, more attractive and friendlier. She was probably really smart too, since she is studying medicine... No wonder people would think Ichigo and her are going out, I sighed heavily.

"What are you sighing about, Usagi-Kaichou?" Ichigo asked as he took off his shoes.

"Welcome home," I greeted. "How was your day?"

"It was… alright," he said after a pause.

"I see," I answered while studying his expression. He looked like he was hiding something. He was probably thinking about those two guys today, I realised. Since I escaped before they saw me, Ichigo thinks I don't know about it.

"You didn't answer my question," he sat down on the coffee table so he could face me. "Did something bad happen again?"

"No, nothing bad has happened," I said. I sat up and looked at him, "Ichigo… do you think I'm too short?"

Ugh, two members were still missing, another two had shown up dead and yet here I was, thinking about my relationship with Ichigo. There's something very wrong with me.

He stared at me as if I had asked him if he was an alien before bursting into laughter, "What are you talking about all of a sudden? You never cared about your height before."

"Forget it," I crossed my arms and stood up. "I'm going back to my room."

"I like you just the way you are," he said. "Because I can do this," with one hand, he pulled me into a hug and used his other hand to tilt my head upwards. He placed his lips on mine and my eyes slid closed on their own. My arms automatically wrapped around his neck as he deepened the kiss. He sat down on the couch without breaking the kiss and I sat on his legs. His hand travelled up my side and-

_Ring!_

Our eyes opened and I pulled away quickly whilst trying to control my breathing.

"Fuck," he said breathlessly and ran his hand through his hair.

I untangled my limbs from his and quickly went to the phone, "Hello?"

"Kime-sama, a team has found someone who witnessed Tomi's kidnapping. Do you want to see them?"

"Tell me where they are, I'll go there now," I noted the address Ulquiorra gave me and hung up. Running into my room, I changed my clothes and put on make-up and a wig to disguise myself in record time before running back out.

"Rukia?"

"I need to go do something," I told him. "I'll be back later, sorry."

* * *

I got off my bike and checked my wig was in place before pulling up the hood of my jacket. I always wore my white jacket as part of my disguise and it covered most of my face, allowing my identity to stay hidden. I saw some members from Kings and they led me to the witness.

Her again? I mentally groaned.

Matsumoto Rangiku was leaning against the wall, shuffling her feet. When she heard me approach she looked up but she couldn't recognise me due to my disguise.

"Thank you for waiting," I said to her. "I believe you said you saw the kidnapping that happened a day ago?" Has it only been a day? It felt like a life-time ago…

She nodded and gestured to the guys around me, "I already told them what I saw."

"Can you repeat it again?" I told her. "When you're done, you can go home and forget you ever saw us." Which was highly unlikely, considering the scary faces the people around me were wearing…I tried not to imagine how they managed to get information out of her in the first place.

Matsumoto heaved a sigh, "Fine. I was walking home after I finished my classes at my university and saw this white van parked a few blocks down. A brown haired man and a girl with long hair climbed out carrying a guy between them and disappeared between two buildings. A little while later, they ran back to the car while carrying a different person. They had a little struggle before they managed to tie him up. Then they dumped him into the van and drove off."

"Do you remember the number plate?" She shook her head. "Why didn't you call the police?"

She looked at me incredulously, "Are you kidding me? I saw the gun holsters strapped around the brown-haired guy's waist. I wasn't about to get myself into a situation like that. Plus, it was obviously some dispute between gangs. Calling the police will just cause more trouble."

What happened to her having a good heart? Well, I could understand why she didn't want to get involved…

"So," She suddenly leaned forward and looked at me in amusement, "who are the people dare to taunt Kings like this? Kidnapping four of Kings' people in a mere month and one of them is dead…Is the head honcho coming here to fix this, Kime-chan?"

"That is none of your concern," I replied coldly. "Thank you for your cooperation and please don't tell anyone about this. You may go now."

"Boring," she rolled her eyes and pouted.

She called me Kime… How did she know I was Kime?

I watched her walk away and when she was out of ear shot, I turned to the person beside me, "You told her we were from Kings?"

The woman shook her head, "We were told by Ulquiorra-san to stay anonymous while we asked around for information…" Her eyes widened almost comically, "Kime-sama-"

I looked at Matsumoto, who had stopped at a shop at the end of the street and was looking at the clothes displayed in the window. "Keep an eye on her."

* * *

Thoughts anyone?

Until next time~

-AO-


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Hello everyone ^^ Sorry about the late-ish update today D= I had to go to my friend's birthday party XD Not sure about you but I had an amazing week! It started off with the exam I mentioned before, of course, but then I had my senior formal (aka prom in some places)! It was awesome and I enjoyed every second of it =D Also, yesterday (Friday) I had my graduation~ =D I'm very happy to graduate but also a bit sad to leave all my friends DX Twelve years down, four more years of university left to go and then spending the majority of my life trying to find my place in society... fun Q.Q

Anyway, enough about me... Please enjoy~

* * *

"Ah…"

"Eh…?"

"Rukia-san, do you know him?" Akane tilted her head and asked.

"Uh, yeah," I replied before sitting down between her and Yuki. Beside Akane was Nobara while Matsumoto sat beside her and sitting between Yuki and Matsumoto was none other than..."Kurosaki-kun and I studied at the same high school."

"Why didn't you tell us," Nobara asked in surprise.

"You never asked."

"Wow, to think you knew Ichigo-kun all this time," Akane mulled over the new piece of information and leaned toward me. "What does it feel like to know one of the most popular guys in our university?"

"I'm not really that close with him," I answered slowly while quickly glancing at him. He seemed to be quietly eating his lunch while trying not to laugh. Why did it become like this? If I ever needed to eat lunch at the university, I would always eat with Nobara or Akane and sometimes with Yuki. I never knew Yuki and Matsumoto were close friends and I would never have imagined Matsumoto would end up sitting with us and that Ichigo would also be dragged over.

"But you two came from the same high school," Yuki said.

"We weren't involved in the same friendship circles," I explained. Well, I didn't belong in any particular circle in the first place unless Renji and various sons and daughters of brother's employees counted as one…

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed with his mouth full of food. I shot him a frown and he quickly swallowed before continuing. "I was a delinquent and she was the school president so we didn't really mix…"

The girls around me gasped in unison. "You were a delinquent?" Akane squeaked.

"I knew it. That hair colour is just too unnatural," Nobara shook her hair.

"My hair colour isn't dyed," Ichigo frowned. "Just ask…" He trailed off under my look.

_We're not close, remember? _I reminded him with my eyes and he nodded.

_Yeah, I know… My mouth moved quicker than my head._

"He's hair colour isn't dyed," Matsumoto spoke up and interrupted Ichigo and my silent conversation.

"Of course you would know, Rangiku," Yuki laughed quietly.

Nobara nudged Matsumoto and said in a stage whisper, "So are you and Kurosaki really dating?"

"It's nothing like that," Ichigo said hurriedly. "Matsumoto-sempai just occasionally helps me with things. We're only friends."

"Ah… looks like I was rejected, Nobara-chan," Matsumoto said jokingly and Nobara patted her head.

"You two would make a good couple though," Yuki observed. "Right, Rukia-chan?"

"Yeah…" Ichigo looked at me in surprise and I avoided his gaze.

"By the way, a new range of clothes came in yesterday!" Matsumoto announced happily. "Do you want to come over and have a look?"

"Yes!" Akane replied excitedly. "Let's go this afternoon!"

More shopping? I resisted a groan and forced a smile on my face, "Sure. I'll meet you guys after class."

* * *

"Better control how much clothes you buy today," Ichigo reminded me. "I heard Ulquiorra-san had a heart attack when he saw you return home with those clothes last time."

"I know," I sighed and shuddered at the memory. "Don't remind me…"

We were walking toward the shop. Nobara and Matsumoto were walking at the front, followed by Akane and Yuki with Ichigo and me trailing at the back. All four were engrossed in their own conversation but I kept my voice as quiet as possible.

"Why are you coming along too?" I questioned him.

He shrugged, "Got dragged along." He then smiled and leaned in close, "Plus, I can see you try out all those clothes."

"Baka Carrot," I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry I'm late for my shift, Miyako-san," Matsumoto apologised when she walked into the shop. "But I've brought some customers."

The woman who was putting clothes on the clothes racks looked over and smiled. She had long black hair that was tied in a ponytail and gave us a warm smile. Although there were signs of fatigue on her face I recognised her right away. The girls went to the new clothes section but I stood rooted near the entranceway.

Ichigo tapped my shoulder, "Rukia?"

"I've seen her before," I said with a frown. "She was the woman I saw when I visited my sister."

"Someone from…"

"No," I shook my head. "I've never seen her before but…"

She looked really familiar but where else have I seen her?

"Rukia-san, come look at this. You must try this!"

"I'll think about it later," I decided and hurried over. Ichigo found a seat and watched us while occasionally checking his phone.

Looking at the shelf for newly arrived clothes I bit back a sigh.

Battle with clothes: round 2 - start!

I was handed 10 different clothes at the same time and was immediately pushed into the nearest fitting room. "Don't I get any say in what I should try on?" I looked at the pile of clothes in my arms and sighed.

"Just sit back and look awesome, Rukia-san," Nobara called. Giving another sigh I picked up the one on the top of the pile, which was a beige sleeveless dress that was frilly near the bottom, and put it on.

First thing I noticed was Ichigo's stare. I shuffled my feet in embarrassment and tugged on my dress.

"You look amazing!" Akane gushed.

"Thank you," was all I managed to say before more clothes were given to me. "Ah… there's a limit to how many clothes I can try, right?" I looked at the shop owner, Miyako, hopefully.

To my dismay, she shook her head. "You are a special case, I guess," she then produced a camera and took a quick photo. "I'm honoured to have you as a model, Kuchiki-san."

"M-model?" I repeated in surprised.

Matsumoto scratched her cheek and laughed dryly, "I... didn't tell you?"

"No, you didn't," I frowned. What did I get myself into?

"Matsumoto-sempai told Miyako-san about you coming to this shop," Akane explained. "And when Miyako-san heard you were coming again, she asked if she could take pictures when you tried on the clothes…"

My eyebrow twitched, "I never heard about this."

"Aww, Rukia-san, don't be angry," Akane clapped her hands together and pleaded. "We had no bad intentions. But if people see you be a model for Miyako-san's shop, they would surely come and shop for clothes here."

"I…"

"Please, Kuchiki-san," Miyako pleaded as well.

"…Fine," I huffed and shut the fitting room door. I heard them cheering outside while I reached for another outfit…

* * *

After trying on my 15th outfit, Miyako had ordered take-away for everyone. When we finished eating dinner, we went straight back to work. It was nearing eight when everyone began to leave. Ichigo and I offered to stay behind to help Miyako close the shop.

"Thank you for doing this, Kurosaki-Kun and Kuchiki-san," Miyako bowed after locking up the shop.

"Ah, it's ok. If you need it, I can always come again," I replied her. "But please make sure I know I'm modelling next time."

"Of course," she said. "I didn't know that they didn't tell you! Oh, and this is a thank you present for doing this."

"Ah, you didn't need to…"

"No, I insist," she smiled warmly at me.

"Thank you," I accepted her present hesitantly. As she waved goodbye and started to walk away, I started to panic. Should I ask her if I saw her that day? What if it was the wrong person? For some reason, I felt like I needed to ask but just as I opened my mouth, she suddenly turned around.

"Have a save trip home, Kuchiki-san. It's not safe for girls to wonder around at night," she bowed slightly and I hastily returned her bow. When she straightened up again, our eyes met. She smiled again and walked away.

What was she trying to tell me? I wondered while Ichigo and I walked home.

"Rukia, I can sense you overthinking," Ichigo spoke up.

"I am not," I objected. "That look she gave me when we parted ways… She was obviously trying to tell me something! She was at the cemetery -the cemetery that is only for Kings' members – even though I've never seen her. And she's also here of all places and-" I stopped when I thought of Matsumoto. "Ugh, let's go home quick. I have a bad feeling…"

"You are overreacting," Ichigo rolled his eyes but sped up his pace as well.

Once we got home I followed Ichigo to his room and settled on his bed. "Ichigo," I called and waited until he looked at me. "Try not to get too close with Matsumoto Rangiku from now on, ok?"

"I knew it!" Ichigo exclaimed and I watched him in surprise. "I knew you were thinking about that." He dragged his chair over so that he could face me. "Are you being jealous?"

"Ichigo…"

"I knew it…"

"KUROSAKI ICHIGO, LISTEN TO ME!" He immediately shut up. "I'm not saying this because I'm jealous!" Well… not the main reason, anyway, I added in my head. There was no way in hell that I would say that to him though.

"Of course," he said with a smile. I wanted to hit him but I also needed him conscious so that he could listen to my next words.

"I have a bad feeling about her," I told him. His barely hidden smirk was getting on my nerves. "Ichigo, I am being completely serious here."

"You're thinking too much, Rukia," he shrugged. "I think you're just not used to being here?"

"I am already used to living in Bunkyou," I clicked my tongue. "Why won't you listen to me?"

"Rukia, you think every stranger you meet is suspicious," Ichigo sighed.

"I do not," I hissed. "She's just-"

"She's what?" He raised an eyebrow.

I bit my lip. No, I promised myself I wouldn't drag him into this… "Nothing."

"Then I have no reason to believe in you," he shrugged. "She's just an upperclassman, Rukia, and nothing more than a friend to me so stop worrying."

"No reason to believe me?" My eyebrow twitched. "Ichigo, you're my boyfriend, why would I lie to you."

"Oh?" he leaned forward in his seat and looked at me in the eyes. "Then tell me the real reason why I shouldn't talk to her?"

I looked away, "I can't tell you now." As if I could tell him his upperclassman might be helping or even belongs to the yakuza organisation that's been kidnapping and killing off Kings' members...

"And why not," he threw his arms up in exasperation. "Why must you always be keeping things from me?"

"I don't want you to be get too involved in these matters, Ichigo," I shook my head. "It's better for you to stay away from this world. It's too dangerous."

"Then what about you?"

"I'm different. I grew up in that world and I know how it works. I can defend myself but-"

"Don't look down on me," he growled.

"I'm not looking down on you!"

"You are. You don't think I have the capabilities to survive in that world."

I rubbed my temples, "Ichigo, you're aiming to be a doctor. You're learning to help and save people. You shouldn't interfere with these matters."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Ichigo, what do I do?" He looked at me in confusion. "You know the answer. As Kime, what do I do?"

"You deal with opposing gangs."

"How?"

"By fighting them," he replied in frustration. He couldn't figure out where I was taking this conversation.

"Be more specific."

"How should I know? Taekwondo? Karate? Kung-fu?" He shrugged half-heartedly.

"What happened to Shiba Kaien?" I said softly. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth but nothing came out. I stared at the ground, "See, you do know. I can't let you do things like that, Ichigo. I don't think you want to either."

"There's other ways than that…"

"This is what I mean when I say you don't get how that world works, Ichigo," I forced myself to chuckle. "Sometimes, doing that is the only way to solve things. It's hard for you to understand, right? To be honest, I'm surprised you're still willing to stay with me even after knowing what I've done."

"It's not like you want to do it, though…" I could tell he was struggling to find things to say and I commended him for his efforts.

I got off his bed and walked around his room. I could feel his gaze follow me as I paced around and walked up to him. "What if I said yes?"

He frowned but I pressed my finger against his mouth to stop him from talking. "I want to help my brother and I am willing to do anything to help him. I think you know me well enough to know that I won't hesitate to do it."

"You're determined to help your brother and I am determined to help you," was his reply. "Why won't you let me help you?"

"Have you not been listening to a word I said?" I exclaimed at his stubbornness before rubbing my temples. "Enough about that… Just promise me you'll keep away from Matsumoto Rangiku from now, ok?"

"No," he replied blatantly and caused me to stare at him.

"Ichigo, I will tell you everything once it is fixed, I promise. So can you just trust me for now?"

"Why don't you try trusting me for once?"

"This isn't going anywhere," I shook my head.

"I won't do it until you give me a proper explanation," he crossed his arms and started at me. "She is a great friend and I don't want to just lose her because of your silly suspicions."

"You…" I clenched my fists and closed my eyes. Silly suspicions… my mind froze at those words. So he would rather believe in her than in me?

"Rukia, why can't you trust my judgement?"

"I give up," I was surprised by how calm my voice sounded. "Do what you want. I don't care anymore. Don't come crying to me when you get hurt."

"Rukia?"

My gaze, completely devoid of emotion, swept over him and he tensed, "Recently, I've begun to think about how different our lives would be if we weren't together." I left, shut the door quietly and locked myself in my room. Moments later, I heard him curse loudly before knocking on my door and calling my name but I didn't open it. He cursed again and then it was quiet. The silence was interrupted a few minutes later by the front door of our apartment being opened and then slammed shut.

And with that, our relationship began to crack.

* * *

Thoughts anyone?

Until next time~

-AO-


End file.
